patman
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2014
Posts: 5
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Post by patman on Oct 21, 2014 8:53:09 GMT -5
Hello new to site and rock tumbling, but was wondering after reading a how to on this site as well as other places, they discuss using some type of cushion medium for final stages of tumbling. While I could order some of the plastic beads I am wondering if anybody has tried used or thought of the plastic/rubber BB's they sell in your local department store for those guns kids shoot? I am thinking of a easy and readily available source here. They sell those by the gallons and they are cheap, was wondering if anybody had tried these or if you have any thoughts about them??
Patman
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tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,547
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Post by tkvancil on Oct 21, 2014 9:45:36 GMT -5
Hi patman and welcome to the forum. I haven't used the air soft pellets but know others here have with success. I used to use the plastic beads in my rotary tumblers for stage 2 through polish. They did okay. I did change my method and stopped using pellets. Started stage 2 (220 grit) with an 80% full barrel then added ceramic along the way to keep volume at 80%. The fuller barrel provides it's own cushioning by giving less room for rocks to fall. Just throwing that out there as a possible alternative. As you may already know ... if using plastic or rubber cushioning ... don't pass them along with the rocks to the next step. If used in 220 pull them out and save them for your next 220 run. Add new ones for pre-polish and polish as well, save them for future runs. The grit can stick in the soft cushioning. By separating them it avoids cross contamination, which is passing a coarser grit into a finer stage.
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Post by captbob on Oct 21, 2014 10:13:53 GMT -5
A downside to overloading in later stages could be weight. Don't burn out any motors! Never tried the Airsoft pellets, don't see why not. I use the plastic pellets, but find them on eBay in bulk to save $$ I've also seen that some folks use tile spacers as they are pretty cheap too.
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patman
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2014
Posts: 5
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Post by patman on Oct 21, 2014 10:44:23 GMT -5
Thanks sounds like great idea's I think I will buy a different one for each stage as you suggest and label the container that way I can just put them back in and reuse. Thanks for all the suggestions.
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Post by captbob on Oct 21, 2014 10:58:41 GMT -5
Scary road yer heading down and it only gets worse from here!
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hornseeker
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2014
Posts: 268
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Post by hornseeker on Oct 21, 2014 14:34:51 GMT -5
Is there a thread somewhere, where people post pics of their setups... like this one you have posted Bob? Fun way to get ideas!!
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,352
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Post by quartz on Oct 21, 2014 23:17:13 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum. We {wife and I} have been fiddling trying for the perfect tumble polish for ~17 yrs. now. Where we are now is running about 20% of the 220 run cushioned with 3/8" dia. pieces of truck tarp tie down cord cut into 3/8-1/2" lengths. Flat rubber pieces stick to the barrel walls too much. The polish run is about 20% cushioning made up of half air soft pellets and half leather pieces of ~1-1 1/2" dimension. Then a soap run, cheap powdered laundry soap mixed to thin pancake batter thickness, and leather pieces to about 1/4 of the load. Air soft pellets in the soap run proved too much like bearings, too much sliding. We run the 220 and polish for 10-14 days, soap 3-5 days. This procedure is used in a double 5-gallon barrel set and a double barrel 1 3/4-gallon set. We run the barrels about 85% full. Works for us, but we are always looking for improvement.
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Post by captbob on Oct 21, 2014 23:46:06 GMT -5
Hi Larry, would you mind posting a picture of your 5gal tumbler setup if you have one handy? I've read about it before, but can't find any pictures that haven't been deleted. Thanks!
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,352
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Post by quartz on Oct 21, 2014 23:55:53 GMT -5
Here you go capt., I run it inside an insulated shed, pulled it out for the pic. I keep the shed closed if we have company [grandkids and such], so never built a belt guard. It runs 17 R.P.M. and the barrels run a little either side of 100# full, polish a little lighter.
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Post by captbob on Oct 22, 2014 0:02:07 GMT -5
Thank you! someday...
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,352
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Post by quartz on Oct 22, 2014 0:10:26 GMT -5
You are welcome. Built it in '99, and run it pretty steady. Wore out one second hand motor at ten years, and one rough barrel so far.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,563
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Post by jamesp on Oct 24, 2014 3:01:26 GMT -5
You are welcome. Built it in '99, and run it pretty steady. Wore out one second hand motor at ten years, and one rough barrel so far. My wife wants me to build a tread mill for her dogs. I was thinking a large open drum about 6 feet in diameter and 4 feet wide sitting on your tumble base. Ever seen a hamster wheel ? for dogs
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,563
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Post by jamesp on Oct 24, 2014 3:26:02 GMT -5
Hello new to site and rock tumbling, but was wondering after reading a how to on this site as well as other places, they discuss using some type of cushion medium for final stages of tumbling. While I could order some of the plastic beads I am wondering if anybody has tried used or thought of the plastic/rubber BB's they sell in your local department store for those guns kids shoot? I am thinking of a easy and readily available source here. They sell those by the gallons and they are cheap, was wondering if anybody had tried these or if you have any thoughts about them?? Patman Similar to saw dust is newspaper. It makes a thick protective slurry. Basically a pulp thickener. It is cheap and disposable. When I got started I bought PVC tumbler barrels made out of a hard PVC(SDR 35 pipe) that was hard and slick. The guy that sold them to me said I had to run them very fast during coarse grind or the rocks/grit would slide on the barrel. Which would quickly cause the barrel to wear out. To avoid beating the rocks up at high speeds he said to run wet newspaper with them. It served well as a protectant. And did well in the garden as compost. Now I use Sch 40 PVC and it has little wear issues. Was pleased with the newspaper for a protectant. May end up using it on some sensitive soft rocks and glass. SDR 35 thinwall PVC barrels run slow in coarse grit(did not follow advise)
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,352
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Post by quartz on Oct 24, 2014 22:01:00 GMT -5
I'd be happy to send you a dimensional sketch of the rolling frame to save you some time. Glue some low shag carpet into a chunk of 6 foot culvert would about do it. While at it, why not use that to drive your tumblers, save on power.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,563
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Post by jamesp on Oct 25, 2014 5:33:50 GMT -5
I'd be happy to send you a dimensional sketch of the rolling frame to save you some time. Glue some low shag carpet into a chunk of 6 foot culvert would about do it. While at it, why not use that to drive your tumblers, save on power. I was being half serious. A roller type dog treadmill is not a bad idea. My wife in the dog biz and a lot of her friends and clients ask her about treadmills. And use them. Nothing to do w/fighting dogs. For show dogs and people that live in the city. There is a big demand for them. But they are expensive. Never heard of a drum type, just the belt ones, and they are a bit complicated. Well, I could build a wheel type, but a belt type would be a bit intimidating.
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hoardingrocks
having dreams about rocks
Dazed & Confused
Member since September 2014
Posts: 58
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Post by hoardingrocks on Nov 4, 2014 14:10:06 GMT -5
Rio Grande has plastic pellets labeled coarse, med, fine, very fine. Are these the plastic pellets used in a barrel for polishing? If so what else would you put in it plain water?
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